ANTIMONY (III) SELENIDE

Description

Antimony triselenide (Sb2Se3) is an inorganic compound that occurs in nature as the mineral antimoselite. Its black orthorhombic crystals have a metallic luster. It is primarily found in China, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
French scientist P. Chrétien prepared crude Sb2Se3 from the elements in 1906. In 1924, Ludwig Moser and Kasimir Atynski at the Technical University of Vienna made it in pure form by treating an aqueous solution of potassium antimony tartrate with hydrogen selenide gas.
Historically, Sb2Se3 has been used in pyrotechnics and flares and as an ingredient in paint pigments, glass, matches, and explosives. Most of these uses have been disontinued because of the dangers associated with the compound (see the hazard information table).
But Sb2Se3 is becoming a 21st century player in the field of electronics. As Chuan-Hui Cheng, Weifeng Liu, and colleagues at the Dalian University of Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Dalian), and Hainan University (all in China) put it, “Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) is an emerging photovoltaic material.”
In their work to develop high-performance solar cells, the authors note that Sb2Se3 has attractive properties such as “appropriate band gap, high absorption coefficient, single-phase structure at room temperature, inert grain boundaries, earth-abundant constituents, relatively cheap price, and low toxicity”, although that last claim can be called into question.
In any case, the researchers describe their preparation of thin films of crystalline Sb2Se3 as a key component of solar cells. They improved the performance of the films by using a highly aromatic small molecule called NPB1 to induce the crystallization of Sb2Se3 during the annealing process. This refinement increased the photogenerated carrier lifetime of the cell and suppressed interface recombination near the anode.
The Materials Project database contains a profuse amount of information on Sb2Se3, including a rotatable 3-D image of its crystal structure.
1. NPB is N,N’-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N’-bis(phenyl)benzidine, CAS Registry no. 123847-85-8.

Chemical properties

gray powder(s); obtained by passing H2Se through a solution of potassium antimonyl tartrate [MER06]

The Uses of ANTIMONY (III) SELENIDE

It is used to prepare large zintl ion, it is now actively explored for thin film solar cells.

General Description

This product has been enhanced for energy efficiency.